Krankenhaus Festival returns to Muncaster Castle from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August 2026, bringing an unusually wide mix of live music, DJs, talks, family activities, fell walks, wildlife and castle attractions to the western Lake District.
Headliners and major names include Stereolab, Sea Power, Sprints, Stewart Lee, Bill Ryder-Jones, Charlotte Church's End Times Pop Dungeon, BC Camplight, Haiku Salut and Pictish Trail, while the setting gives festival-goers access to Muncaster's gardens, castle attractions and bird-of-prey displays as part of the weekend ticket.
Krankenhaus Festival 2026 at a glance
- Festival dates: Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August 2026
- Venue: Muncaster Castle, near Ravenglass, Cumbria
- Festival postcode: CA18 1RQ
- Festival car park entrance: CA18 1RD
- Adult weekend ticket: £240
- Adult day ticket: £85
- Camping: four nights of tent camping included with a festival ticket
- General camping: midday Thursday 27 August to 6pm Monday 31 August
- Under-threes: free
- Carers: free companion tickets are available under the festival's access arrangements
- Dogs: welcome across much of the festival, with restrictions at the Hawk & Owl Centre
Krankenhaus 2026 line-up
The festival mixes indie, alternative music, electronic sets, comedy and spoken-word programming rather than operating as a conventional single-stage rock festival.
The 2026 programme includes Stereolab, Sea Power, Sprints, Stewart Lee, Bill Ryder-Jones, Charlotte Church's End Times Pop Dungeon, BC Camplight, Haiku Salut, Pictish Trail and many more performers. Talks and literary sessions add another strand to the weekend, while DJs continue until around 1am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
The organisers publish day line-ups and a fuller performance schedule closer to the festival, so check the current programme before travelling if one artist is essential to your plans.
What is included with a Krankenhaus ticket?
A festival ticket includes daytime access to Muncaster Castle and its visitor facilities. That means the weekend can include gardens, play areas, the Weapons Hall and bird-of-prey flying displays as well as the music and talks.
Festival-goers also receive a 25% discount on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway. The railway discount code is sent to ticket holders before the festival and can be used to book a trip into Eskdale.
Camping at Krankenhaus
Four nights of standard tent camping are included in the festival ticket. General campers can arrive from midday on Thursday 27 August and remain until 6pm on Monday 31 August.
The campsite is reached on foot from the festival car park and is around 400 metres away. Vehicles cannot be driven onto the standard camping field, so pack with that walk in mind.
Facilities include drinking water, toilets and hot showers. Lighting is limited, so a torch is worth packing. BBQs and personal fires are not permitted, although camping stoves can be used safely away from tents and other flammable material.
Campervans, motorhomes and glamping
Campervan and motorhome weekend pitches are charged separately at £85. The campervan area has running water, showers, toilets, waste-water disposal and toilet-emptying facilities, but there are no electric hook-ups.
Pre-pitched bell-tent glamping is also available separately, with several levels of furnishing and four, five or seven-night options.
Krankenhaus parking
The key arrival detail for drivers is the festival parking postcode: CA18 1RD. The organisers specifically ask drivers to stay on the A595 and follow festival signs rather than trying scenic mountain routes or using the castle's coach and accessible entrance by mistake.
Weekend overnight car parking is £27.50. Day parking is also available separately. Parking should be booked through the festival where required.
Important A595 roadworks on Friday night
Anyone arriving or leaving late on Friday 28 August should also be aware of scheduled A595 works at Waberthwaite. Convoy working is planned from 8pm, followed by a full closure from 10pm Friday to 5am Saturday.
That section is on the main west-coast road used by many festival journeys. Do not attempt to replace it with an unsuitable mountain-pass shortcut. Read our A595 and Ravenglass access guide and check live council information before a late journey.
Getting to Krankenhaus by train
The nearest mainline station is Ravenglass for Eskdale on the Cumbrian Coast Line. It can be reached from Carlisle to the north and from Lancaster and Preston to the south.
Muncaster Castle is within walking distance of Ravenglass, and local taxis are another option. Check the last train carefully if you are not camping because music and DJs continue late into the night.
Accessibility
Krankenhaus takes place across a historic castle estate and working-farm landscape, so some surfaces are rough and uneven. The festival provides step-free access to performance areas, a raised accessible viewing platform at the main barn, accessible toilets, accessible parking and a more level accessible camping area.
Accessible motorhome pitches are limited. Muncaster also has two mobility scooters that can be requested in advance by calling 01229 717614, subject to availability.
Dogs and families
The festival describes itself as very dog friendly and assistance dogs are welcome. Dogs cannot enter the Muncaster Hawk & Owl Centre, so plan around that restriction if you want to see the bird displays.
There is a dedicated family and children's programme alongside Muncaster's normal play areas and outdoor spaces, making Krankenhaus much broader than a late-night music event.
Food, drink and supplies
Food and drink are available around the Barn Courtyard and castle cafe, with vegetarian, vegan and meat options. Local and real ales are part of the festival offer.
The organisers also point campers towards supplies in Ravenglass and Holmrook. If you are staying for several days, buying essentials before arriving will save repeated journeys on the A595.
Where to stay if you do not want to camp
Ravenglass and the surrounding western Lake District have hotels, inns, self-catering cottages and caravan parks. Accommodation near Muncaster is limited compared with the central Lakes, so late bookers may need to widen their search towards Eskdale, Seascale, Gosforth and Whitehaven.
See our Muncaster Castle guide and Ravenglass guide for more ideas, or combine the weekend with a journey on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway.
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